Original entry here.
My son is now 6 and a half months old and feel worse the ever about my body. I love my son so much and feel so guilty for hating my body as it carried him for for 40+11 weeks. My body created a beautiful 10 lb 10oz baby boy but I can’t accept it. I feel like at 19 years old my body is ruined. The worst thing is I know I’m being stupid but I can’t help it. I don’t understand how over women do it.
View my original entry here.
When my son was born 5 weeks early, with severe IUGR and weighing only 3lbs, I was angry. It was all my body’s fault. I learned not long after submitting my original entry that my heart was struggling with the pregnancy and I had developed pregnancy induced hypertension. My placenta was only 2/3 the size it should have been, because my heart wasn’t pumping adequate blood supply to it. I was hospitalized, medicated, and watched 24 hours a day. I was in danger of a stroke or toxemia.
I lost 25lbs of baby weight in 4 weeks. Breastfeeding for 5 months combined with healthy eating took off another 20lbs. Since then I’ve lost about 5-6lbs more, for a total weight loss of 51lbs since I delivered 8 months ago.
My body is healthier now than it has been in years. I went from a 12 before becoming pregnant to an 8 post-partum, and I’m still slowly losing (in spite of weaning my son – I pumped exclusively for 5 months because he was unable to latch.) It made a baby to the best of its abilities – we couldn’t have known that my heart wouldn’t like pregnancy. After all, I was only 26 years old, no health complications, and I should have been low risk.
It’s hard for me to get to know this new body — it’s smaller, and I feel good physically. I can see changes in my appearance, and I have greater confidence in spite of the breasts that have flattened out (thanks to breastfeeding!) and that crease from hip to hip. I have a love-hate relationship with it — I love that it’s smaller and that I’m wearing a size 8. I hate that it is not good at being pregnant, and that I’m not sure if I can ever have more babies.
It’s a day by day process — I can easily accept the stretchmarks all over my breasts and thighs, but I’m having a harder time with the unknown of what will happen if I try to conceive again. Another pregnancy could be fatal — to the baby, to me, or to both of us. I don’t know the risk yet, but it’s there.
For mommies who grieve the loss of their bodies through pregnancy, try to remember the beauty of your children. You are SO BLESSED. Look back on your uncomplicated pregnancies, your chubby healthy babes, and the exciting potential of more amazing little ones in the future. You have much to celebrate!
Updated here.
Here’s my previous entry with a link to my previous previous entry, ha ha! Slowly, VERY slowly I’m noticing changes in myself. My stretch marks are finally fading and my belly is actually lifting as terrified as I was that it wouldn’t. I’ve been working out and trying to eat as healthy as possible. So I guess we’ll see how it goes!
I know I’m constantly submitting on here, but I just love this site and what it does for women and there self esteem so when I did this little project for www.Inkymole.com I just had to share it! I think it really says a lot about beauty and the fact that beauty is certainly not always perfection!
Updated here.
At 8w 3d I found out I was having twins. Something no one can ever be prepared for. Two of everything! Two cribs, two bikes, two high chairs, two carseats, two hugs, two kisses, twice the work, twice the fun! I had my fraternal twin boys at 37 weeks via c-section and they’ve been the most amazing, most wonderful thing that has ever happened to me!
Updated here.
Original entry here.
I thought I’d leave a update… My baby is now 16 months, and my princess is 3. I’m still struggling with my body image, but I did that before I got pregnant the first time… I think this is a fantastic site. I feel beautiful, stronge, and at home here. thanx.
I was always skinny. 111 pounds before the birth of my first son, and proceeded to gain 55 pounds. I ended up with stretch marks from literally my breasts to a few inches past my knees. After I lost the weight, my breasts were just loose skin, nothing else. My stomach looked pretty wrinkly, but I was okay because I was a size 0 and could wear tight shirts. I just had to tuck an inch of skin into my pants! I just had my second beautiful son 8 weeks ago, and gained the same amount of weight, and it’s coming off pretty easily. I went from 155 and am now 119. But my stomach is just loose skin, I knew this could happen but it consumes me every day. I have so may pairs of jeans I know I will never be able to fit into because of the loose skin draping over my pants. I have an absolutely wonderful husband who said, after I showed it to him sitting down, “what kind of husband would i be if I cared about that? You had a baby!” But he said if it bothers me that much, I can get a tummy tuck next year.
Updated here.
Previous entry here.
My name is Regina. I became pregnant with my first daughter when I was 16 years old. I planned on giving her up for adoption for the first 5 months of the pregnancy but in the end I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Her father and I were married when I was 32 weeks pregnant. We were both 17 years old. 9 weeks later, on January 9, 2006, 8 days late, my baby girl was born. She was 8 pounds 8 ounces and 19 inches long. I started out the pregnancy at 158 pounds and a size 9-11. During the pregnancy I gained 47 pounds! Topping out at 205 pounds. I lost 20 pounds in delivery. My beautiful daughter gave me larger hips, larger breasts, lots of fat and a tummy full of stretch marks. I must say though I LOVE my stretch marks. I was never afraid to get them and did nothing to prevent them. I think they are beautiful. They mean so much to me. They mark a time in my life that is precious to me: the 9 months that I carried my princess inside of me. Over the next 2 years I managed to not lose a single pound. I did manage to tone my way down from a size 20 to a size 15. I was big, and soft but my shape was nice and I liked my body. On January 24, 2008, when I was 19 years old, my husband and I were surprised to find that we were expecting another baby. I was determined not to gain as much weight and to keep my body in shape. Well, with the exhaustion of taking care of my 2 year old and being pregnant I never managed to work out, though I did go for an hour walk everyday with her. By the end I had gained only 18 pounds! I weighed 204 pounds on the day I delivered. One thing that I was absolutely ecstatic about was the size of my belly. With my first, even when I was overdue people couldn’t always tell I was pregnant. But this time I was huge. I started showing at about 11 weeks and by the time I delivered I was a HOUSE! I absolutely LOVED my belly and my body! My 2nd daughter was born 8 days late on October 5, 2008. She was 8 pounds 10 ounces and 20 inches long. I lost all the weight from the pregnancy in delivery. But my hips have grown a few INCHES and my old stretch marks grew a bit longer, but no new ones. Even though I am my pre-pregnancy weight of 186 pounds, I am about 2 sizes above my pre-pregnancy size. I am now 6 weeks post partum. I am breastfeeding and starting a weight loss program. Since this is my last baby I’m going to work hard to get a decent body back without fear of losing it again to another pregnancy. I found this website when I was about 15 months post partum and fell in love with it. I have accepted my body so much more because of it. It has done amazing things. It has survived 2 teen pregnancies, a blotched epidural that caused permanent nerve damage in my lower half, a 100% natural delivery and now it is surviving breastfeeding. I would like to be thinner, but until then I love having a little chub for my children to rest when we are cuddling. The 1st picture is of me when I was 16 before I got pregnant. The 2nd is of my 9 months pregnant with my first. The 3rd and 4th are of me 24 months after my first. The 5th is me 9 months pregnant with my second. The 6th is of me now. And the 7th is the reason I wake up in the morning, Melora Abigail, 34 months and Amelia Grace, 6 weeks.
Updated here.
These photos were taken a couple of weeks before my daughter turned two. Actually, as I write this, she will be two years old in less than 24 hours. She is a total blessing, so bright and inquisitive. And I see that being a mother to a little girl who will someday be a woman bears its own weight. The way I see my body will effect how she sees herself. In realizing that, I will try to say I am beautiful and tell her that she is, too.
I posted here before, but now I can’t find any of my posts. I am still breastfeeding and from the way it looks, I think we’ll be going strong for months to come, despite being down to 1-2 sessions a day. I enjoy the closeness and she does, too, obviously. Sometimes she’ll just crawl in my arms and assume the nursing position just to be held close. I am so blessed. So incredibly blessed! And my husband has always been so supportive of breastfeeding. He helped me from day one and he still supports me 110% with extended nursing. I am blown away, amazed, and so, so, thankful.
As far as my body type goes, I carry my weight in my lower body. What you don’t see in these photographs are stretchmarked, cellulite pocked buttocks and thick thighs. But I don’t care. I think I have a lovely figure. Before motherhood, I did not have breasts or hips. I was commonly mistaken for a twelve year old. Today I’m mistaken mostly for a sixteen year old. I think that’s a step up lol. After having my daughter, I threw out all of my size A bras, certain I would follow the path of my sisters and retain my voluptuous breasts, but alas they quickly deflated and now I’ve had to go out and repurchase 34A bras. That’s a warning to everyone out there. I also threw away several size small shirts… that I really liked and now REALLY miss. I wear size 5 jeans. I’m 24 years old, around 5 foot 1 and 3/4, and 125 pounds. I definitely owe any and all weight loss to breastfeeding. I weighed 160 the day my daughter was born, 138 two weeks later, 128 when she was 6 months old. And I’ve yet to buy jogging shoes. That would be a “Do as I say, but not as I do” situation. Do exercise. It’s good for you. I’m just terribly lazy.
Attached are photos of me two weeks ago, and a collage of my pregnancy belly photos.
Updated here.
With my first daughter, conceived at 17, I was not fuller aware of the changes that would take place. I was young, ignorant to nutrition and was raised with horrible eating and activity habits. I gained almost 80 pounds and ended my long labor in a csection. My first daughter is an absolute joy, and in many ways saved my life for sure destruction. I met my husband when she was 3. We conceived about 9 months later. We have created 5 more children together (on in my belly currently), in the past 6 years. My body has undergone quite the toll. Almost continual pregnancies and breastfeeding. I am in awe of what my body is able to handle… I am sure that this most soon come to an end, mostly because I have had 5 csections. I am attempting a VBAC with this pregnancy, and if it goes well, as I have much faith and hope it will, then maybe I will be up for more children, but otherwise I think my body ready to move on to the next stage (whatever that is :) These are some pictures I took. I am currently about 18 weeks pregnant with my 6th and learning a little more each day,each pregnancy, to love and accept my body just the way it is.
I have always been a healthy weight but still had to watch what I ate.I was pretty naive and assumed that my body would go back to normal straight after birth. I quit smoking as soon as I found out I was pregnant with my son (my first pregnancy)and the weight just piled on. I gained 20kg by the time I gave birth to him at 41 weeks, I was also covered in stretch marks After having him I managed to get back to my pre pregnancy weight by 6 months post partum but I still had the jelly belly. When he was 11 months old I fell pregnant again. This time I was determined to eat healthily and avoid too much weight gain. I put on 8kg with this pregnancy and had lost all that by 6 weeks pp. Today 8 months later I am actually 7kg lighter than what I was prior to falling pregnant with my first, but I am in no way happy with my body I look at my belly now and I am disgusted. It looks like elephant skin. I am no longer interested in being intimate with my husband because I feel so unattractive. He thinks I am beautiful of course and tells me everyday but I can’t help comparing myself to others who have had kids and bounced back straight away
Updated here.